Prevalence of Helminth Parasites of Horses in and Around Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia

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1 ISSN IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: /idosi.apg Prevalence of Helminth Parasites of Horses in and Around Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia Tilahun Berhanu, Nuraddis Ibrahim, Benti Deressa and Tadele Tolosa College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, School of Veterinary Medicine Abstract: The present study was carried out from November 2008 to March 2009 in and around Hawassa town to identify and determine the prevalence of helminth species and its associated risk factors in Horses. For this purpose, a total of 190 fecal samples were collected randomly from naturally infected horses for examination of the presence of helminth parasites. The overall prevalence of different types of helminth eggs and helminth species in this study were 97.9 %. 4 horses were free from any parasites (2.1%) and mixed infections were detected in 83.2% of horses. From fecal examinations those animals infected with one, two, three and four types of parasite were: 28 (14.7%), 56 (29.5%), 68 (35.8%), 34 (17.9%), respectively. The parasites encountered were 85(44.7%), 70 (36.8%), 31 (16.3%), 65 (34.2%), 106 (55.8%), 54 (28.4%), 63 (33.2%) and 7 (3.7%) were positive for Strongylus vulgaris, Strongyle edentatus, Strongyle equines, Oxyrus equi, Parascaris equorum, Strongyloides westeri, Triodonthophorus tencollis and Dictyocaulus arnfieldi, respectively There was statistical significant difference (P<0.05) in prevalence of S. edentatus, S. equines and T. tencollis between the body conditions as examined by coproscopy. There was statistically no significant difference (p>0.05) in prevalence of Strongyle vulgaris, Oxyrus equi, Parascaris equerum, S. westeri and D. arnifielde within the body conditions. Statistically significance differences in prevalence of all the listed parasites among the age groups were not observed (P>0.05) as examined by coproscopy.. From this study it can be concluded that body condition can be considered as one of the important factors which influence the occurrence of some helminth parasites in horses. It is recommended that owners should be trained to improve the management system, especially in terms of the level of nutrition so that the animal can have good body condition that confers some level of resistance against helminthes infection. Key words: Horses Fecal Samples Hawassa Helminth Prevalence INTRODUCTION draft power sources for secondary and tertiary land preparation [3]. All over the world, horses are exposed to helminth Horses are prone to number of infectious and nonparasites from many orders and genera resulting in infectious diseases. Horses are exposed to a complex significant morbidity and mortality [1]. mixture of intestinal parasitic helminths. Among these Horses are important animals to the resource-poor parasites such as large and small Strongyles, Ascarids, communities in rural and urban areas of Ethiopia, pin Worms, Gastrophilus, lung worms, fluke and tape providing traction power and transport services at low worms are the common problems encountered in most cost. The low level of development of road transport veterinary clinics. Mixed specie infections are most network and rough terrain of the country make equines commonly found to infect the horses [4]. These parasites the most valuable appropriate and affordable pack animals share with the equine digestive nutrients and lead to under the small holder farming system [2]. In areas where retard growth or reduce work out put, discomfort and draft power is a constraint for crop cultivation a pair of pains of various degrees and even mortality of the well conditioned equines could be used as an alternative animals [5]. Corresponding Author: Nuraddis Ibrahim, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box: 307, Jimma, Ethiopia. Tel: , Mob:

2 Intrinsic factors like age and sex are found to affect the strongyle infections and egg-excretion [6, 7]. A study was designed with to achieve the objectives: To determine the epidemiology of various gastrointestinal helminthes of horses based on quantitative coprological examination; to record the effect of age, body condition score on the prevalence of natural infections. The age of horses was estimated from the dental eruption and wear as described by Svendsen (13). Age was conventionally classified as Young (0-2) years (n=55), adult (3-15) years (n=46) and old (>15) years (n=89). The body condition scoring was based on the criteria of NEWC [14] and body condition of animals was classified into poor and good. MATERIALS AND METHODS Statistical Analysis: The data were analyzed using the chi-square test according to the species, age and body Study Area Description: The study was carried out in condition of animals. In all cases, the SPSS version 16 was Hawassa in southern Ethiopia situated 275 km south of used and the confidence level was held at 95% and the Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia) at a latitude results were considered significant when P<0.05. of7 04'N and a longitude 38 31'E on the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. The altitude ranges from 1650 to 1700 m RESULTS above sea level. The mean annual rainfall and temperatureare mm and 27 C, respectively. The Coproscopical Examination: out of 190 horses 97.9% of population of donkey (Equus asinus), mule (Equus them were positive for different types of parasite eggs and hemonious) and horse (Equuss cabalis) for Hawassa parasite spp, namely Strongyle vulgaris (44.7%), town are 13961, 369,5161, respectively. The total livestock Strongyle edentatus (36.8%), Strongyle equines (16.3%), population of Sidama zone is estimated to constitute, Oxyrus equi (34.2%), Strongyliod westeri (28.4%), 1,721,341 cattle, 228,941 goats, 457,465 sheep, 204,460 Parascaris equerum (55.8%), Triodonthophorus tencollis equines, 725,540poultry and 44,492 beehives [8]. (33.2%) and Dictocaules arnifielde (3.7%) (Table 1). Concurrent infections with three species of helminthes Study Animals and Design: Cross-sectional study was were more common 68 (35.8%) than infections with one 28 conducted on 190 randomly selected horses of (14.7%), two 56 (29.5%), four 34 (17.9%) species of indigenous breed found in Hawassa town and in the helminth and four animals were free of any parasite (2.1%). localities around Hawassa town. Faeces samples were Mixed infections were detected in 83.2% of the horses. carried out correspondingly with the required data(sex, The prevalence of helminth esin both body condition age, owner, etc.) were recorded. Fecal samples collection groups (good and poor) was determined in coproscopy. and examination was carried out from horses which were The coproscopy results revealed that, the highest dewormed with anthelmithics three months ago. prevalent helminthes in good body condition animals was Dictocaules arnifielde (71.4%) and the least was Fecal Sample Collection and Examination: Fecal samples Strongyle edentatus (30%). were collected and transported to parasitology laboratory of Hawassa University, College of Agriculture for Similarly, in Poor Body Condition Animals the Highest examination. Fecal examination was carried out by direct Prevalent Parasite: was Strongyle edentatus (70%) and smear, sedimentation and floatation technique and for least was D. arnifildae (28.6%). There was statistical identification of some parasites to species level fecal significant difference (P<0.05) in prevalence of S. samples were cultured and the larvae were recovered edentatus, S. equines and T. tencollis between the body using Bearman apparatus technique. conditions as examined by coproscopy. There was The larvae were then identified under lower power statistically no significant difference (p>0.05) in microscope (10X objective), based on the shape and prevalence of Strongyle vulgaris, Oxyrus equi, number of gut cells, relative size and shape of larvae s tail Parascaris equerum, S. westeri and D. arnifielde within [9, 10]. The floatation fluid used in this study was the body conditions (Table 2). supersaturated solution of sodium chloride (Nacl) salt The prevalence of helminthes in different age groups prepared in the laboratory. The procedure given by (young, adult and old) were determined by coproscopy Urquhart et al. [11] was followed for the above technique employed. The results revealed that the parasitological methods. The Eggs were identified using prevalence of helminthes with age was Oxyrus equi ova identification keys [12]. (33.8%) and D. arnifielde (25.8%) was the highest and 8

3 Table 1: Relative percentage of larvae of different helminth parasites Table 2: Prevalence of parasites between the body condition scores of horses Species of parasite recovered from coproculture Prevalence Strongyle vulgaris 44.7% Strongyle edentatus 36.8% Strongyle equines 16.3% Oxyrus equi 34.2% Parascaris equerum 55.8% Strongyliod westeri 28.4% Triodonthophorus tencollis 33.2% Dictocaules arnifielde 3.7% Body condition Spp of parasite Poor GOOD 2 X P-value Strongyle vulgaris 60% 40% Strongyle edentatus 70% 30% Strongyle equines 41.9% 58.1% Oxyrus equi 63.1% 36.9% Parascaris equerum 59.4% 40.6% Strongyliod westeri 61.1% 38.9% Triodonthophorus tencollis 68.3% 31.7% Dictocaules arnifielde 28.6% 71.4% Table 3: Age wise prevalence of parasites Age group Spp of parasite Young (0-2years) Adult (3-15) Old (>15) 2 X P-value Strongyle vulgaris 31.8% 24.7% 43.5% Strongyle edentatus 32.9% 24.3% 42.8% Strongyle equines 25.8% 19.4% 54.8% Oxyrus equi 33.8% 20% 46.2% Parascaris equerum 28.3% 20.8% 50.9% Strongyliod westeri 31.5% 18.5% 50% Triodonthophorus tencollis 27.1% 23.7% 49.2% Dictocaules arnifielde 28.6% 42.8% 28.6% lowest in young, respectively. In adults Dictocaules horses of Arsi-Bale highlands of Oromiya Region, arnifielde (42.9%) and S. westeri (18.5%) were also the Mahfooz et al. [17] in Pakistan and Uslu and Guclu [16] in highest and lowest respectively, in old age the highest Turkey who reported 59.1%, 5% and 50%, respectively. was Strongyle equines (54.8%) and the lowest was The prevalence of parascaris equorum was 55.8%. Dictocaules arnifielde (28.6%). Statistically significance This finding is disagree with Tolossa and Ashenafi [15], differences in prevalence of all the listed parasites among Getachew [17] in the Ethiopian, Mahfooz et al. [17] in the age groups were not observed (P>0.05) as examined Pakistan, Uslu and Guclu [16] in Turkey, Fikru et al. [19] by coproscopy (Table 3). in Ethiopia highlands and Aftab et al. [20] in horses of Lahore-Pakistan who reported 11.7%,16.2%, 12%, 10.81%, DISCUSSION 17.1% and 10.92%, respectively. These finding are relatively lower than the present finding, this could be due The results of this study confirm that helminth to variation in manage mental condition of the study infections are highly prevalent in horses of in and Around animals used, probably most of the animals included in Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia. A greater proportion the previous study may dewormed, sample size and of sampled horses were found infected with various sampling method used may also be responsible for such helminth parasites and results are consistent with the variations. This study showed that the level of parascaris findings of other studies [7, 15]. The overall prevalence of equorum infestation had no significant variation between different types of helminth eggs and helminth species in the age groups and body condition scores. this study were 97.9 %, which is in line with previous Oxyuris equi with prevalence rate of 34.2 % was very report from Ethiopia by Tolossa and Ashenafi [15] in high when compared with the work of Tolossa and horses of Arsi-Bale highlands of Oromiya Region and Ashenafi [15], Mahfooz et al. [17], Uslu and Guclu [16] in Usluand Guclu[16] in Turkey who reported prevalence of Turkey, Fikru et al. [19], AFTAB et al. [20] in horses of 84.4% and 100%, respectively. In current study mixed Lahore-Pakistan and Krecek et al. [21] in horses in RSA infections were detected in 83.2% of horses which is who reported 1.8%, 12%, 1.8%, 2.1%, 6.32% and 24%, higher than the finding of Tolossaand Ashenafi [15] in respectively. 9

4 The prevalence of strongloid westeri in the present ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS study was 28.4%, which is different from the work of Tolossa and Ashenafi [15], Morariu et al. [22], in Romania The authors would like to acknowledge all staff and Uslu and Guclu [16] in Turkey who reported 0.7 %, members of Hawassa University Veterinary Parasitology 9.6% and 7.2 %, respectively. However, the current study Laboratory. is in agreement with Wannas et al. [23] who reported prevalence of 22.72%, respectively. REFERENCES Prevalence of 3.7% of Dictyocaulus arnifieldi was recorded in the present study that is higher than report of 1. Hodgkinson, J., Molecular diagnosis and Tolossa and Ashenafi [15], with prevalence of 0.5% and equine parasitology, Veterinary Parasitology, in line with Saeed et al. [24] in Pakistan with prevalence of 136: %. Climatic and environmental differences between 2. Gebrewold, A., A. Tegegn and A. Yami, countries and differences in access to drugs may partly Research needs of Donkey utilization in explain the variation in these estimates. Ethiopia. In: Fielding and Starkey P (editors). Species of large strongyle identified in sampled Donkeys, People and Development. A resource horses included; S. vulgaris, S. edentatus and S. equines. book of the animal traction network for eastern and The prevalence of S. vulgaris (44.7%) observed in this Southern Africa (ATNESA), Technical center for study were lower compared to those reported by Gebreab agriculture and rural cooperation (CTA), [25] where it was found that S. vulgaris 80 % in horses of Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp: 77-81, ISBN 92- Debre Zeit town. Similarly, Krecek et al. [21] reported a prevalence of 94 % for S. vulgaris in horses of South 3. Abayneh, T., F. Gebreab, B. Zekarias and G. Tadesse, Africa. The prevalence of S. edentatus (36.8%) is The potential role of donkeys in land tillage in comparable with record of Eydal and Gunnarsson [26] central Ethiopia. Bulletin of Animal Health and who reported a prevalence of 40% and higher than Saeed Production in Africa, 50: et al. [24] in Pakistan with prevalence of 19.65%. 4. Boxell, A.S., K.T. Gibson, R.P. Hobbs and Prevalence of S. equines (16.3%) recorded in the current R.C.A. Thompson, Occurrence of study which is not in accordance with previous study by gastrointestinal parasites in horses in metropolitan Saeed et al. [24] in Pakistan with prevalence of 23.03%. Perth, Western Australia. Aust. Vet. J., 82: The differences in intensity of infection could be due to 5. Elisabeth, D. and M.B.E. Sevendesen, variations in parasite biology relating to climatic Professional donkey hand book. Anley road, conditions, differences in use of anthelmintics. London W14 OBY, pp: Bucknell, D.G., R.B. Gasser and L. Beveridge, CONCLUSION the prevalence and epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites of horses in Victoria. Australia Int. J. This study revealed that the predominant parasites Parasitol., 25: occurring in and around Hawassa s horsess were 7. Francisco, I., M. Arias, F.J. Cortinas, R. Francisco, Parascaris equerum followed by Strongyle vulgaris. The E. Mochales, V. Dacal, J.L. Suarez, J. Uriarte, study confirmed that among the different age groups old P. Morrondo, R. Sanchez-Andrade, P. Diez-Banos horses were found to be most susceptible and infested and A. Paz-Silva, Intrinsic factors influencing severely. Similar to several previous studies, this study the infection by helminth parasites in horses under also confirmed that helminthes parasites are more an oceanic climate Area (NW Spain). J. Parasitol. prevalent in animals with poor body condition than well- Res., : 5. conditioned animals. From this study it can be concluded 8. Central Static Authority (CSA), that age and body condition can be considered as one of Agricultural sample survey. Statistical Bulletin the important factors which influence the occurrence of (2008/09) 302, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. some helminthes parasites in horses. Parasitic control and 9. Kaufmann, Parasitic Infection of Domestic protective actions will be necessary in order to utilize Animals. A Diagnostic Manual. Birhavsen Verleg, horses more efficiently. Germany, pp: 5-21 and

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